Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode the former Minister of Aviation who was being tried for a reported fraud of N4.9bn, was missing from court on Wednesday because he has heart disease.
Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN) and the counsel for the ex-minister, exclaimed to the court that Fani Kayode would not be making it to court due to the fact he was in the hospital.
Quakers pleaded with the court for an adjournment and assured he would forward the medical prognosis as it comes.
Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo did not object to the adjournment plea, however, he did point out that according to Section 396(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, in a criminal case, no party could have more than 5 adjournments. Fani Kayode has adjourned twice.
The judge Justice Aikawa adjourned the case until February 28th and March 1’st and 2’nd.
Fani Kayode was been arraigned on 17 counts money laundering along with Nenadi Usman former Minister of State for Finance. Danjuma Yusuf and Joint Trust Dimensions Limited are the 3rd and 4th defendants.
Fani Kayode was previously the Director of Publicity during Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign for 2015.
He was accused of conspiracy to steal directly and indirectly various funds according to the EFCC.
He has also been accused alongside the defendants of conspiring to “indirectly retain the sum of N1,5000,000,000.00. Further charges were made on them for retaining sums of N300m, N400m and N800m.
Fani Kayode was further accused of using funds of N250,650,000.00 between March 20th and 25th 2015.
The defendant also broke sections 1(a) and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 by making a transaction of N24, with a Olubode Oke whose whereabouts are unknown on Febrary 12th 2015.